Veterans exposed to herbicides while serving along the demilitarized zone (DMZ) in Korea will have an easier path to health care and benefits under a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) regulation that will expand the dates when illnesses caused by herbicide exposure can be presumed to be related to Agent Orange.

Under the final regulation, VA will presume herbicide exposure for any veteran who served between April 1, 1968, and Aug. 31, 1971, in a unit determined by VA and the Department of Defense to have operated in an area in or near the Korean DMZ in which herbicides were applied. This extends the applicable dates by more than two years.

In practical terms, eligible veterans who have illnesses presumed to be associated with herbicide exposure do not have to prove an association between their illness and their military service.

To learn about veterans' diseases associated with Agent Orange exposure, visit www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/diseases.asp. To learn about birth defects in children of Vietnam-era veterans, visit www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/birth_defects.asp.
The VA encourages veterans with covered service in Korea who have medical conditions that may be related to Agent Orange to submit their applications for access to VA health care and compensation as soon as possible.

Visit www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/AO/claimherbicide.htm to learn how to file a claim for presumptive conditions related to herbicide exposure, as well as what evidence is needed by VA to make a decision about disability compensation or survivor benefits.

For additional information about Agent Orange and VA services for veterans exposed to the chemical, visit www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange.
The regulation is available on the Office of the Federal Register Web site, www.ofr.gov.